Graphic // Danielle Lingle
By: Claire McKenna
Staff-Writer
The Queer Straight Alliance is amid their fourth annual “Out of the Closet” clothing drive. The drive is followed by a free “Into the Closet” giveaway where students can browse the donations and take clothes home at no cost, which will be on Nov. 11 and 12 this year.
The QSA painted donation boxes to put around campus, which were up from Sept. 30 to Oct. 14. Members of QSA painted things like cartoon characters and information about the drive.
The donations were washed on Oct. 19.
“Even if people wash the clothes, we always wash them,” Ala Dockery, QSA secretary, said.
The club will sort the clothes at their Oct. 24 meeting at 5 p.m. in room 225 in the SAC. If you go to this sorting, you will be able to pick one item to take home for yourself.
QSA has decided to do something a little different and new this year. Separate from the clothing giveaway, for the first time, QSA is introducing their Dress to Impress runway fundraiser! The theme of Dress to Impress is from the popular Roblox fashion game.
The club is recruiting models to show off the clothes they think will be most popular at the giveaway. If you’re interested in modeling, email [email protected] or scan the QR code on one of the posters around campus. Make sure to attend the clothing sorting to choose which clothes you will model.
This fundraiser will be in the style of an auction. When the models come out, a QSA leader will explain their outfit to the audience and then the audience will be able to bid on clothing items that the models present. The bidding starts at one dollar and raises by 50 cents every bid.
This money will go to the club to use for their annual spring event, Canvases and Mocktails. Once you bid on an item, you will write down your name and email, pay, and the clothes you bid on will be re-washed and set aside for you to pick up at the clothing giveaway.
This is the only time you need to pay for the clothes.
Any clothes that weren’t used in the fundraiser will be put out for grabs at the giveaway, and the club encourages everyone who stops by to take something.
“We suggest donations, but they are not required,” Amanda Zieglmaier, QSA vice president, said, laughing. “The clothing drive is free; you don’t have to pay for the clothes.”
“It’s very nice to see when people show up and take as much as they need,” Dockery said. “I feel like a lot of students think ‘ah, should I really take this?’ Yes!”
After the giveaway, leftover items will be donated to Mishawaka High School for their clothing drive.
To get involved with QSA, find them on Titan Atlas or follow their Instagram page @iusb_qsa.
